Paris 2024 or 2024 Summer Olympics is right around the corner, and the excitement among potential spectators and event attendees around the globe is almost palpable. All set to light up one of the most romantic cities in the world this time, the Olympic games history most likely dates to 776 BC. Started originally by the Ancient Greeks, Olympic games showcase the physical and mental prowess of top athletes besides promoting peace, fairness, solidarity, friendship, integrity, and inclusion. The multi-sport event offers a level playing field for all 196 nations. But that is not all. In recent times, Olympic events have turned a bright spotlight on advancements in the Fintech landscape, especially digital payments.

Let’s delve into how Olympics games have been driving the worldwide surge in digital transactions and why the trend is expected to continue in 2024 too.

What do People Pay for during Olympics?

No matter where they are held, Olympics games witness countless spectators from countries far and wide. The event in Paris this year will be no exception. And besides paying for different event tickets, spectators are likely to shell out money for:

• Souvenirs or Memorabilia: From official jerseys, hoodies, and t-shirts to caps, keychains, scarves, bags, and toys, Olympics games memorabilia can be of numerous kinds. And serious fans always buy one or more of these, whether they are watching the events in-person or from home. This means, international payments spike significantly.
• Tourist Attractions: Those who fly to a different country or city to attend Olympics games usually use the opportunity to visit the top sights there and make a memorable holiday of it. And they end up paying entry fees for many such attractions, like museums, art galleries, amusement parks etc.
• Hotels: Fans who attend Olympics games in person book hotels, apartments, or homestays as per their budget and taste. Naturally, the hospitality sector sees more payments too.
• Food and Drink: It goes without saying that restaurants, pubs, clubs, and lounges in the host country end up selling more during Olympic events. Even virtual spectators often head to popular eateries to enjoy the games with friends and family.

Apart from the above, spectators might have to spend for emergencies, medical or otherwise. Essentially, financial inclusion becomes crucial at a major event like Olympics since people from various countries (used to different currencies and payment methods) flock together.

How Digital Payments are Transforming Olympics

Here are the ways in which digital payments ease life for both spectators and businesses during the Olympics:

• Cashless transactions: Irrespective of their origin country, spectators don’t need to carry large amounts of cash for different transactions. It is safe against theft as well as convenient. Whether it’s a physical store or website, they can simply pay via an online payment gateway in seconds and avoid long queues or the problem of insufficient change.
• Multiple payment modes: From mobile wallets and internet banking to payment links and QR codes, there are multiple ways for spectators to make payments as per their comfort level. It also helps businesses to drive more conversions and earn more as they offer flexibility to customers.
• Support for different currencies: The best payment gateways allow businesses to accept multiple currencies and handle exchanges seamlessly. This satisfies customers and motivates them to spend more. They don’t have to deal with the hassle of obtaining or carrying foreign exchange or traveler checks either.
• Contactless payments: In the light of the COVID pandemic, it has become more important than ever to maintain hygiene and sanitary conditions with large crowds around. And digital payments (often requiring a simple tap or scan) facilitate the same.
• Cybersecurity: Leading payment gateways use robust encryption, authentication, and fraud-prevention measures to make sure no sensitive data is compromised during digital transactions. Hence, spectators don’t need to worry about identity thefts, scams, account takeover, and so on.

 Paris 2024 to Reach Global Heights with Digital Payments

 So, by now, you have a clear idea of how digital payments have been revolutionizing the Olympics games and why Paris 2024 will take it all up by several notches. Spectators from around the world can look forward to a frictionless and unforgettable experience with cashless and contactless payments, whether they are gearing up for an event, heading to the Louvre, booking a stay near the River Seine, or shopping for macarons. In the UAE and everywhere else, virtual spectators can shop online for souvenirs or visit restaurants for sumptuous meals in front of massive screens without worrying about payments. And businesses can make the most of it by raking in more revenue than ever.

Jordan National Day is just around the corner and the entire country is ready for celebrations and festive revelry. This also means a surge in shopping for personal and domestic use as well as gifting purposes. So, as an ecommerce business owner, you might be looking for ways to boost your Jordan National Day sales figures. And you are in luck. In 2023, around 76% of the country’s population had active mobile connections and internet penetration was pegged at 88%. By 2027, the number of users in the digital commerce market is poised to increase to 4.8 million and the ecommerce market volume is expected to hit USD 293.6 million. Hobby and leisure, electronics, fashion, and furniture and homeware are among the most popular ecommerce sectors in the country currently.

However, to compete with other players, draw more traffic, drive more conversions, and thrive in this dynamic landscape, you need to employ the right strategies. Let’s delve into them.

Tips to Improve Jordan National Day Sales

The modern consumer in Jordan looks primarily for these four things when they go for online shopping – speed, security, efficiency, and flexibility. So, here is what you can do to offer them a frictionless and enjoyable experience:

1. Easy Website Navigation

Make sure your ecommerce site’s interface is simple and easy to use for all. Customers should be able to search, sort, filter quickly and add items to the cart without any hassle. Ensure product descriptions, prices, care instructions, etc. are easy to spot and understand. If there are special offers on certain categories or products, make sure they are clearly visible and hard to miss. Give site visitors the option to view everything in Arabic too, to build trust, cultural familiarity, and a local vibe.

2. Personalized Marketing

Use AI and sophisticated data analytics tools to capture, store, and analyze customer data. This way, you can personalize marketing campaigns in line with their past browsing, shopping, and payment behaviors. Offer customized recommendations while they are on your site or upsell or cross-sell products to boost the order volume. Personalization will enhance shopper engagement too.

3. Immersive AR and VR Experiences

By employing augmented reality and virtual reality, you can enable shoppers to try out different products before making a purchase decision. These advanced technologies can help them interact realistically with products and gauge the suitability, efficiency, or aesthetics. AR and VR can boost engagement, conversion, and satisfaction.

4. Glitch-free Checkout

Adopt an ecommerce payment gateway that makes the checkout experience fast, simple, secure, and efficient. A provider like PayTabs can help you offer a variety of local payment methods to win over customers in Jordan. Payment solutions for online stores in the country usually range from conventional ones like cards and bank transfer to digital wallets and payment links. Depending on the nature of your business and target audience, you can offer all or some of the modes, so that shoppers have ample flexibility and can complete digital transactions without any fuss.

5. Robust Security

Equip your site with layered security measures to protect customer data and encrypt the same, so that hackers cannot steal or misuse sensitive information. Since the National Day will witness increased activity across ecommerce sectors, be extra cautious. Pick a payment gateway in Jordan that keeps all transaction details safe and employs smart authentication mechanisms.

6. Integration with Social Commerce

Integrate your ecommerce site with trendy social media platforms to help more customers discover, explore, and buy your products easily. This is especially a great way to attract millennials and Gen Z shoppers. To receive secure online payments in Jordan through social media channels, just pick a gateway provider that can make the process fast and seamless.

7. Seamless Last-mile Delivery

Leverage advanced logistics software to make sure products are delivered on time and in shipshape. Last-mile delivery plays a key role in customer satisfaction, repeat purchase, and loyalty. So, use the right tools to plan the most efficient routes, save time and cost, streamline operations, track delivery agents, and obtain customer feedback as well.

Get Ready for Jordan National Day

Jordan’s digital commerce market is likely to clock a transaction value of USD 6.75 billion by 2027. To capitalize on this upward trend as well as the upcoming National Day rush, you need to strengthen every aspect of your ecommerce business – from the moment a shopper visits your site to the moment they receive their orders. So, keep the above pointers in mind and choose a Payment orchestration platform like PayTabs that facilitates stress-free and cost-effective payment gateways integration. This way, you can accept multiple payment modes, route and process transactions efficiently, and improve the overall customer experience.

Eid al-Fitr, an auspicious and joyous occasion in the Middle East, marks the end of Ramadan and revolves around prayers, feasts, celebration with loved ones, and exchange of gifts. Naturally, people shop more than usual during this time. In fact, 81% of UAE residents are excited about special Ramadan editions offered by brands in 2024 compared to 76% in 2023. Also, this year, 69% feel that the month of Ramadan is ideal for new purchases, compared to 64% in 2023. Compared to last year, a greater proportion of residents are also exhibiting preference for quick payments.

Hence, as a merchant, smart strategizing can help you make the most of increased consumer demand and boost Eid sales revenue generation. For this, you need to join hands with a reputed payment gateway platform and take a few other steps, as outlined below.

Tips to Sell More during Eid

It goes without saying that Middle Eastern consumers seek special and often high-end products during Eid. So, you need to showcase an attractive collection as an ecommerce business. Additionally, you can:

1. Offer Payment Flexibility

Eid holidays are perfect for reaching out to as many demographics as possible. However, it is not enough for them to like your products. They must buy them too. And since the payment stage is crucial here, offer ample flexibility and choice. For instance, while senior citizens might want to pay with cash on delivery or cards, Gen Z customers might be more inclined towards digital wallets or payment links. Either way, they should be able to find and use their most preferred method. A reliable payment gateway platform like PayTabs can support multiple payment modes, thereby improving sales and revenue.

2. Ease the Purchase of Expensive Items

Another way to drive Eid sales revenue generation is by offering a buy now pay later (BNPL) or instalment payment option. Choose a payment gateway provider that supports the same, so that shoppers purchase more than what they can afford and pay off the bill conveniently. The best part is that you will get paid in full immediately. Instalment payment will enable consumers to make more big-ticket purchases like electronics, jewelry, furniture, luxury apparels, etc. This, in turn, will boost your revenue and create a favorable impression in the minds of your target audience.

3. Simplify Checkout

Integrating your website or mobile app with the right payment gateway can ease checkout for customers. Payment requests will be processed and approved quickly, which will enhance shopper satisfaction. You can offer autofill options too, so that customers don’t have to submit the same details repeatedly for every purchase. Both customer information and transactions will be secure against cyberattacks as well. All of this will help you earn consumer trust and save their time during festivities. There will be fewer instances of cart abandonment and the rate of conversion will spike, thereby increasing sales and revenue.

4. Leverage Offers and Discounts

Eid is the perfect time to draw consumers through attractive bundle deals, discounts, gift cards, and offers valid for a short time. You can also provide discount codes at the time of checkout, so that shoppers can save at the last moment. Organize fun competitions, contests, and giveaways too, so that customers have fun while saving money. This way, you can encourage them to spread the word about your brand and products, thereby bringing in more website traffic.

5. Promote Smartly

To boost Eid sales revenue generation, incorporate festive symbols in all website pages and revise banners to set a special mood for shopping. You can opt for customized logos too. Send personalized and celebratory messages via emails and messaging apps, including offers and deals. Make the most of social media to promote your Eid collection, sales news, contests, and such. You can ask customers to share their favorite festive moment that involves using your product. Craft videos and blogs related to Eid, to fuel excitement in potential shoppers.

6. Collaborate with Influencers

Join hands with content creators or influencers whose values align with your brand, so they can post about your products and drive awareness as well as sales. Consumers are more likely to trust the words of someone they admire and follow than just what your brand claims. You can invite influencers to festive events, send them themed gifts, or organize a giveaway together.

Welcome Prosperity This Eid

As Eid is just around the corner, start implementing the above strategies and pave the way for greater revenue. Don’t forget to connect with a leading payment gateway provider like PayTabs, so that everything related to payments is smooth and efficient. This way, you can also analyze important data and derive actionable insights. With the right provider, it is easy to pick a plan that is tailor-made for your business and pay for it affordably. Have a Happy Eid!

The blessed month of Ramadan is just around the corner and the Middle East is ready to step into another festive season of praying, fasting, and engaging in charitable acts. Ramadan is also when people shop more, be it clothes, home décor items, groceries, or gift hampers. Hence, as a merchant, you must make your customer’s experience seamless to earn their trust, build brand value, and attract repeat business. And since checkout is a crucial part of the shopping journey, you need the smartest payment solutions during Ramadan to make transactions safe, efficient, and fast. Luckily, PayTabs can help.

By integrating PayTabs with your e-store or mobile application, you can offer customers ample choice and flexibility in payment. They can pick from multiple methods and currencies, meaning you can sell across the Middle East and anywhere else. PayTabs’ payment orchestration services can also handle large transaction volumes and improve the payment acceptance rate, which means greater customer satisfaction. Now, let’s explore the challenges merchants face during Ramadan and how payment gateway providers make life easy.

Common Retail Challenges

While consumer demand spikes during the holy month, retailers grapple with:

• Overwhelming traffic – Both offline and online stores deal with excess traffic, which poses a high risk of cart abandonment whether shoppers have to stand in long queues or your website is unable to handle large transaction volumes. In either case, customers might get frustrated and decide against checkout.
• Limited options for payment – Long gone are those days when cash payment was the norm. Today, unless you provide ample options, in the form of cards, digital wallets, internet banking, and such, you might lose a lot of business.
• Delayed fund credit – Since banks often operate for limited hours during Ramadan or stay closed on certain days, accepting payments the traditional way (like checks or demand drafts) might mean that funds will take time to get credited in your account.
• Inefficient invoicing – Not sharing correct invoices or not sending them on time might lead to customer dissatisfaction, delayed payments, and poor cash flow.

So, how can payment gateways transform the Ramadan experience for merchants in different sectors?

Booking

Many people visit families or plan holidays during the holy month. Hence, companies offering flight and hotel bookings or travel packages need to accept payments without hassle. A payment gateway provider like PayTabs can make transactions smooth, whether you have people from the Middle East travelling abroad or foreign nationals visiting the Middle East for a unique experience. Even if your website sells tickets to movies, theaters, or sports events, you will find the demand surging as more people want to relax in the evening after hours of fasting. With the right gateway, you can handle this increased demand, route payments to suitable processors, and improve sales.

Retail

Retail shopping witnesses a sharp uptick during Ramadan. Whether you sell apparel, accessories, cosmetics, or appliances, you need a payment solution that can cater to customers any time of the day. Integrating PayTabs with your app or website can do the trick as shoppers can make purchases even late at night or during early morning hours. Being able to make digital payments securely and easily also means they can stay home and focus on praying, fasting, and spending time with loved ones. In case of luxury goods, shoppers can even opt for instalment payment.

Food

Whether you run a restaurant, home delivery service, or grocery store, you are likely to experience increased demand during the holy month. After all, in the Middle East, Iftar and Suhoor meals are usually lavish affairs. Hence, to make sure you don’t lose a single customer, you need the best digital payment solutions during Ramadan. For instance, PayTabs can ease the checkout process in the food industry by minimizing errors even during rush hours. You can also send customers invoices with payment links so they can do the needful from their mobile devices.

Charity

Donating to the needy is an integral part of Ramadan celebrations. So, if you are in charge of an Islamic center, charitable trust, or mosque, you would want to make it easy for people to make donations even if they can’t visit you. With PayTabs, you can enable donors to make payments via any method they like and track it all as well. Since such payment gateways support multiple currencies, you can accept donations even from those who are situated in distant parts of the world.

Have a Bountiful Ramadan

As you gear up for Ramadan 2024, make life easy for yourself and customers by joining hands with a payment gateway provider like PayTabs. Simple onboarding and budget-friendly fee structures will help you get started in no time. Promote happiness and goodness by offering a glitch-free shopping experience in the Middle East and beyond.

In the dynamic landscape of the payments industry, a noticeable shift is underway. The fintech domain is now witnessing an incredible surge in the contribution and direction of women. The digital age continues to reform financial transactions, and women entrepreneurs are making their presence felt in key roles, steering innovation, and cracking barriers in the payment sector and beyond.

In the fintech and payments ecosystem, the last few years have seen an environment conducive to equality, with the spotlight firmly fixed on talent instead of gender. Women entrepreneurs have come to the forefront and are breaking gender barriers. Not only are women building successful careers in the financial services and technology domain, but they are also making significant contributions worldwide.

As women continue to take giant strides and make a mark in leading start-ups and establishing themselves as retailers, investors, and in the banking and payment networks, PayTabs strongly supports their endeavor and appreciates their rise to the top. The team at PayTabs believes in the empowerment of women and plays its part in supporting fempreneurs who serve as role models for others and positively impact the payments industry.

Women’s role in the payment industry is not merely a passing fad or trend but a significant transformation that has broad implications. This sector has always been synonymous with male-centric leadership and perceptions. However, women are being recognized for their diverse talents and receiving accolades for their valuable contributions.

Among the most notable aspects of women’s steady ascent in the payment sector is their leading roles in promoting innovation. Whether it is developing user-friendly interfaces or fronting leading-edge technologies, women entrepreneurs are creating solutions to enhance the efficiency and security of payment gateways.

Webpreneurs, particularly women entrepreneurs, face diverse challenges when it comes to running their businesses. PayTabs addresses one vital challenge, i.e., conforming to changing regulatory regimes and digital payment solutions.

Being technology-driven, businesses today need digital access to global markets and the ease of seamlessly accepting online payments. This is where PayTabs continues to stand by women entrepreneurs by providing payment solutions in over multiple countries and alternate currencies via a single API. This lets women focus on their businesses while PayTabs sorts out their e-payment worries.

Among the leading payment gateways, PayTabs believes in helping more women entrepreneurs lead from the front. PayTabs’ acquisition of Paymes, the largest social commerce platform in Turkey, has empowered scores of female entrepreneurs spread across the Middle East and Africa to receive payments instantly. Female entrepreneurs can create customized web stores and reach out to global markets. This feature offered by PayTabs enables a new segment of female entrepreneurs, especially those who run micro-home-based business enterprises, to sell their products on various social e-commerce platforms like WhatsApp and contribute to the economy.

The rise of women entrepreneurs in the payment sector reflects a significant societal shift towards diversity and gender equality. As more women pursue rewarding careers in fintech, their wealth of expertise and talent enriches the payments industry. This, in turn, drives innovation and helps build a more dynamic as well as more-inclusive workplace environment.

In the region, women comprise a significant chunk of the workforce, with 44% having fulfilling careers. Not only does the UAE present business opportunities for women who wish to branch out on their own and launch successful businesses, but the gender gap seen previously has also undergone a sea change. This gender gap is steadily narrowing, with 7.6% of entrepreneurs being women today as compared to 11.8% of men founders of businesses.

PayTabs’ commitment to women’s empowerment has remained steadfast over the past decade. Its 300-strong workforce has a considerable number of women employees in leading roles in technology, operations, sales, and customer support. PayTabs believes that the inclusivity of fempreneurs fosters positive social impact, bridges financial disparities, and encourages greater economic empowerment.

As women continue to emerge as a strong presence in the payments industry, PayTabs renews its commitment to remain a trusted name in payment gateways for fempreneurs. Women’s role in the payment industry is reshaping its boundaries and redefining the future of payment gateways.

As PayTabs continues to introduce new opportunities in digital transactions, women entrepreneurs can rely on the payment gateway and accept online payments securely and seamlessly across the globe. PayTabs strives to be a dependable partner in this incredible entrepreneurial journey for women.